Innocuous Little Place
by Aiko Isari
Summary: Post canon. Tohma wants to belong there, but that's simply improper.


The first time Tohma sets foot in the Daimon home, all that time ago, he thinks the place is small. Quaint, but small. He hadn't been in anything resembling a small house since he was little. It says a lot that he remembers how to behave in one.

He doesn't say anything about it at the time, but he wants to. He wants to tell Sayuri her home is warm.

However, he has better manners than that. So he doesn't.

When he returns, many times over, he still never says it. However, perhaps she knows, because she always gives him a strange sort of smile. There's no pity in it, but a wan sort of acknowledgement of reality.

He appreciates it. If only Relena could see it.

After some time, after Masaru is gone, he takes her to visit. She stumbles when she walks still, but he can't refuse her working hard. He can't refuse her for basically anything, even when he's angry.

She manages to walk without his hand all the way to the steps. When he knocks on their door, however, she grips his hand, suddenly, tightly. He tries to smile. Tohma tells her, over and over, that they are going to be fine, even if he's not saying it aloud. That doesn't mean anything in the end, when he thinks about it. Mrs. Daimon is still a mother.

The doorknob shakes, opening to reveal Chika, eyes wide and surprised. Then she smiles enough to light up a room. Tohma smiles in return, the set of his shoulders easing ever so slightly. "Hi, Tohma-kun! And you're..." She looks at Relena like she's someone she should know from school or somewhere else. It's so open, it almost makes his sister lose her balance. Then she straightens, like the good little Norstein she is, and manages a bow. She says her introductions in a low mumble and Tohma can't even find it in herself to scold her as they step inside.

Relena doesn't relax until they're seated with cups filled with green tea in their hands, warming the autumn chill from their fingers. Even still she looks around, excited, enthused by all of this family in one place. Like he had hoped. Just being here is increasing the color in her cheeks. Good.

Suguru steps from the office to greet them and Sayuri offers treats like they always drop by like this. Tohma has to wonder if she prepares these ahead of time.

Due to decorum, he of course doesn't ask.

His chest hurts for a moment and he swallows the rising lump in his throat multiple times to make sure it stays down. His father, their father, they are doing so much better together now. Still.

 _"Mama? Mama!"_

Suguru asks about his medical work and tells him about the gate. Tohma hears the wistfulness in his voice. He can't help but wonder how a man can miss a world that kept him from his family for a decade of his life. When he thinks of Gaomon, however, all of it falls into place rather easily. He's almost jealous.

Relena listens on, until the door opens and Ikuto and Chika are hurrying in. Ikuto hugs him with slightly more force than necessary, but it's fine, isn't it? After all, they haven't seen each other in a few weeks. He hugs him back, forgets decorum once and it's nice, a nice feeling.

This is why he's here after all.

"If I may ask," he begins, voice quiet. The two children (unfortunately for them, they are still kids, so he kind of has to treat them like that, sort of.) "Relena and I going to be in the area for a while and," He pauses, gestures for his sister to speak.

Relena smiles awkwardly and dips her head, sitting up straight. "I was hoping to learn my way around when brother is working..."

"Okay." Ikuto flushes from his interruption and murmurs an apology. Then he continues. "I still get lost here myself so I know I would appreciate something like this."

Chika only smiles wider. "Yeah, sure! Why not?" It's too easy for her, it tends to be, he thinks.

Their kindness is good, and well appreciated. It's also natural.

This is probably why he came here, in the end.

"Thank you," he says, almost wishing he could join them. But he has things to do, his sister to heal. And if he sits here too long, remembering the short time he had with his mother, well, he might not get up.

Still, he considers it rude not to finish his tea.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Hi! It's been a while. I need to write more Savers I think. Anyway, please enjoy!

Challenges: Digimon Non Flash Bingo 683 - place: Damon Home and Diversity Writing Challenge: B74. write a family scene


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